


Rebuilding A Home

by jewelswrites_ish



Category: Four Brothers (2005)
Genre: Bobby Mercer x OC, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-18
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2020-07-07 22:36:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19859137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jewelswrites_ish/pseuds/jewelswrites_ish
Summary: After discovering the death of Evelyn Mercer, Detective Olivia Friedman of the NYPD comes back to her home town to pay her respects to the woman who made her childhood tolerable. But after events start to happen and an old flame starts to ignite, can she handle being back home? Secrets start to reveal, feelings start to come out, and the truth is all that can be heard.





	1. Reunion

**Author's Note:**

> Four Brothers has been and will always be one of my favorite movies. This fic was written years ago but I decided to revamp it a bit, and change the way it was written.

Some things just never change, and Detroit, Chicago was no different. The snow stained streets still smelled like heavy gasoline with just a hint of wet dirt while the buildings still appeared rugged and abandoned with windows shot out, chipped red brick and rusted iron roof tops. It felt, just for a moment, like she was seventeen again driving through the city; memories flooding in like a broken dam. As much as it felt as if two large arms metaphorically wrapped around her in celebration of the return to her hometown, Olivia Friedman wished it was under different circumstances. It had been several, if not more, years since she had visited the large city; a mistake she truly regretted. There were too many memories still needing to be made, more tales she needed to hear and a smell she wished she could have sniffed one last time.

Looking at the time, Olivia realized she was already late to the service causing her right leg to become heavier against the gas pedal. Many wouldn’t have expected for the woman to show with her history in the city and its residents, but this wasn’t just any old lady who passed away; this was Evelyn Mercer, the woman who saved her.

After Olivia’s mother had passed away when she was the tender age of seven, the husband and father took the loss very hard. Like expected, he had drowned himself in his carpentry business which left young Olivia to fend for herself. There were many nights where the child would go to sleep hungry due to lack of food in the home and she would have to go to school wearing the same clothing which had not been washed. Evelyn noticed this and quickly acted on it; offering to help take care of the child as they were neighbors. But living with the grieving father was no picnic. He later turned into an unforgiving monster.

Finally finding a parking spot not too far from the cemetery, Olivia’s gaze found the large crowd of people attending the funeral, mourning the loss of one of their neighborhood’s longest and kindest resident. She started her way toward the crowd, instantly recognizing those she grew up around. Many faces belonged to the children Evelyn helped move into foster and permanent homes. One of the gifts Evelyn Mercer had was seeing the good in everyone and any situation – a trait Olivia wished she could have absorbed from the older woman. The four children Evelyn couldn’t find homes for were invited into her own and raised like they were hers. Jack Mercer, Angel Mercer, Jeremiah Mercer and lastly, Bobby Mercer were all well known in the community for the wrongs they had done growing up and out of all of them, it was Bobby Mercer Olivia had been attracted to; naturally.

Olivia kept her gaze to the ground as she approached a nearby tree. It was difficult seeing everyone in such a manner. Death has always been an easy topic for the woman as she was met with it at such an early age; however, the death of Evelyn Mercer hit her harder than she had expected. Wanting to mourn separately, she stayed by the tree on a slight hill keeping her light eyes on Jack Mercer standing at the podium, giving his testimony about his adoptive mother.

In her head she did the math and calculated he'd be about twenty-five; making the woman feel a tad over the hill though she was nowhere near it. Little Jackie had always been her favorite Mercer. Though he was the most troubled sibling, Olivia had admired the way he pulled himself out of the spiraling darkness his childhood would have created if it were not for the support system he had helping him along the way; Olivia included. Even with Jack being eight years younger than Olivia, the two had grown up together and were basically glued at the hip. Because of their shared past, it had pained Olivia to watch Jackie standing at the podium, emotionally breaking down in front of the crowd.

Playing with the loose change in her coat pocket, the woman’s eyes found Bobby Mercer joining his little brother at the podium to help him. "I was never really good with words so, thank you all for coming. There will be a reception at Jeremiah's house; you are all welcome to come." It took a few minutes before the crowd began to disperse, but her gaze was held by Detective Green who had spotted her and stared in her direction.

Lieutenant Andre Green had been with the Detroit Police Department for a long time; first meeting the Mercers before ever becoming a cop. It didn’t surprise Olivia to know Green wasn’t afflicted by her presence, however, it was his partner standing beside him who intrigued the woman’s attention; something was off about him.

Noticing Green’s movements toward her, Olivia lightly pushed herself from the tree and met the men halfway. The wind picked up as she walked, pulling her shoulder length auburn curled hair in all directions. Moving a piece behind her ear, she placed a fake smile along her lips as Green neared. "Well look who it is; I never thought I'd see you again," Green greeted, pulling Olivia into a tight hug. "It's nice to see you Detective." Raising a brow, the woman looked toward Green confused. "Do you really think I wouldn't check up on you every now and then?" Frustrated by this, Olivia pulled away from the man and placed her hands in her pockets; welcome home Olivia.

"You know Green that can be considered stalking," Olivia taunted causing Green to smile.

"Oh I'm sorry; this is my partner Inspector Fowler. Fowler, this is New York Special Victims Detective Olivia Friedman." Shaking hands with Fowler was more out of politeness than respect; Olivia still didn't get a great vibe off him. "How long you gon’ be in town?"

"I took two weeks off at the station."

"I still can't believe you, out of all people, made it to be a detective, let alone on my side of the System."

"I wanted a new life," she responded with a shrug. "And I knew I wasn't going to get that in Detroit."

"So you moved all the way to New York?"

"Green, I think you need a new hobby." And with that, Olivia turned on her heel and started toward her vehicle. Green’s advance knowledge about her life alerted her and, quite honestly, bothered her. Whether or not he was simply ‘checking up on her’ like he had said, Olivia didn’t like his digging and hoped to convince him to end it at a later time.

Approaching her vehicle, Olivia quickly took a scan around her surroundings. Looking at the same deep brown eyes she used to love put her in a trance; she missed the way he stared back with the small sparkle in his eye with adoration. But before he could make a move, Olivia threw open the door to her ’10 black Nissan Acura and revved the engine. She could feel his stare still on her as she passed by him, her own gaze glued to the streets ahead of her. Her actions irritated him, this she was certain, but she also knew he couldn’t blame her for acting as such. The last time either of them had seen each other hadn’t been a pleasant memory for Olivia.

* * *

_ After a long and hard day at work, it felt like a blessing to finally step through the doors; the doormat reading ‘home sweet home’. She knew Bobby would be waiting inside with dinner in the microwave while he'd be doing pull-ups on the bedroom door frame with the help of his new Gold’s Gym pull-up bar. And like pictured, as soon as Olivia opened the door, Bobby’s toned body was being pulled up, making every muscle in his upper body flex. With a small and thankful smile to the Gods she had such a hot man in her life, she walked over to the kitchen where she set down her purse on the kitchen counter. Taking one last glance over to Bobby, Olivia walked over to the microwave expecting her dinner to be waiting; it was not. _

_ "Uh, where's my food?" she asked, her irritation gradually rising. As if he hadn’t heard her, Bobby continued robotically pulling himself up, letting out a few puffs of breath. "Bobby!" Finally he stopped and dropped to his feet to find Olivia standing with her brow raised. "My food?" _

_ "Oh right, I forgot." His words forced Olivia to roll her eyes as she walked into the bedroom without acknowledging him. "I'm sorry … damn." Ignoring him, the woman began undressing, slipping herself into her nightgown. In doing so, Bobby took long strides across the room to wrap his arms around her waist. This infuriated the woman enough to lightly push him away before making her way back to the kitchen, needing something in her stomach before drifting off into dreamland. Angrily, Bobby followed. "I said I was sorry Livy." _

_ "I spend over twelve hours a day working my ass of trying to make ends meet for us to keep this apartment, the car and food on the table while you sit on your ass and do nothing all day. The only thing I ask is if there would be food done, a clean house and a perfect escape from my job every day. And what do I get? Food hasn't been made for two weeks, this place looks like a tornado hit twice after a stampede of elephants destroyed it and it's hard to turn your head away from the TV set." _

_ "So I haven't done a few chores, sue me." _

_ "No Bobby, it's not just a few chores,” Olivia tried explaining. “You've gotten far too comfortable with me holding this place down on my own while you're doing only God knows what. After you got fired you promised me you'd look for another job." _

_ "I've been looking," he interrupted. _

_ "The classified aren't behind your eyelids, Bobby!" Even Olivia was taken aback by the loudness of her voice as her hands dropped everything they were holding. "For two whole months you've been feeding me the same fucking bullshit every day about you finding a job and saving me from working my damn ass off just so we have a decent income. Sixteen hours a day, Bobby Mercer, that's how much I work to keep our heads above water. I'm fucking tired of this." Finally Olivia stopped, allowing her breathing to settle. Bobby, feeling defeated, had nothing to say mostly because he knew everything she was saying was the truth. They stood in silence for what seemed like hours until Bobby finally broke the tension. _

_ "I'm leaving." Olivia’s face dropped as the man turned to pack his belongings. It wasn’t her intention – her intention was meant to try to motivate him in finding a job and living his life the way it should be lived. All of his wasted potential and Olivia only wanted him to see it. But instead of reaching out to inform him of her thoughts, Olivia’s walls quickly built up again and allowed him to pack what little he owned and leave the residence. _

_ "Good, I'm tired of supporting your ass and you being under appreciative. I'm not your mother, and if you wanted her, you know exactly where she is." Bobby turned to look at Olivia, the fire in his eyes evident but he kept his mouth shut. While he finished stuffing his belongings in black trash bags, Olivia quietly made her food. But as the smell lingered, it began to make her feel nauseous. _

_ "I'm leaving my phone here since it's yours." The woman didn’t allow him the see the tears building up; her face turning red. _

_ "As you should." _

_ "Have a good life, Olivia." And with that, Bobby Mercer walked out the door, closing it loudly behind him. Olivia watched the wooden frame expecting a knock on the door and for him to be crying back, apologizing and promising he'd change; neither happened. The knock on her door never came. The apologies were never spoken and the love never returned.  _

_ Just like that, Olivia was left alone. _


	2. Reception

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After discovering the death of Evelyn Mercer, Detective Olivia Friedman of the NYPD comes back to her home town to pay her respects to the woman who made her childhood tolerable. But after events start to happen and an old flame starts to ignite, can she handle being back home? Secrets start to reveal, feelings start to come out, and the truth is all that can be heard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Four Brothers has been and will always be one of my favorite movies. This fic was written years ago but I decided to revamp it a bit, and change the way it was written.

During her drive to a hotel, Olivia wrestled with the idea of making a brief appearance at Jeremiah’s house for the reception. As much as she did not want to be anywhere near Bobby Mercer, Olivia wanted nothing more than to catch up with little Jackie; to be able to hug him one more time and to laugh with him again before she headed back to New York. Always and forever was their motto to show one another no matter what they were going through, no matter how much time had gone between them, they would always be there for the other whenever needed. With the words echoing in her mind, Olivia made the last minute decision to turn around and head toward Jerry’s home; a promise she’d be in and out in a matter of five minutes.

"Well isn't it little Livy." Jeremiah greeted Olivia with a smiling face and open arms, happy to see who he considered his big sister. Olivia returned the smile and hug, not surprised her childhood nickname was still used decades after. "How you been, girl?" Pulling away from the woman, Jerry placed his hands on Olivia’s shoulders, getting a good look at her. "You look good."

"Thanks Jerry." Olivia smiled once again just as Jerry’s daughters ran over to their father. "My God, you girls are so big!" The woman bent down to become eye level with the girls as they both jumped into her arms for a hug and kiss. The last time Olivia had seen them, Jerry had visited New York to see Camille’s family. The girls looked more like Jerry when they had visited last, however, as she pulled away from her nieces, Olivia realized they were beginning to look more like their mother; that was a good thing.

"I was hoping you'd be here." Camille, Jerry's wife, came out and quickly wrapped her arms around Olivia, a large smile on her face as she was relieved one of the saner siblings had come to the reception.

"Wouldn't miss out on seeing my favorite family, would I?"

"It's good to have you here, Liv." Looking back to Jerry, a smile still plastered on his face, Olivia knew Jerry genuinely meant it.

"Alright girls, let's get inside so you can eat something." Camille took her daughters inside their cozy looking home, but not before waving goodbye and offering her home to Olivia if needed.

"Have you spoken to Bobby yet?" 

Olivia resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she balanced on her foot before taking in a breath. "Not yet, and I kind of don't plan to." 

Jerry raised a brow as he shook his head to his adoptive sister. Though they hadn’t been close growing up, it seemed after Bobby and Olivia separated she became more of a family member with his kids than any of his other adoptive brothers. It was Olivia who had sent birthday and Christmas gifts. It was her who would video chat with the girls whenever she had gotten the chance, and it was Olivia who offered her home to the family whenever they’d spend time in New York.

"Listen, I don't know how things went down between you two since y’all still won’t talk about it, but…"

"Jerry leave that between Bobby and me, okay?" 

He nodded, understanding why she still didn't want to talk about the separation; the two just had too much history. Since the day Evelyn took her in, Bobby took it upon himself to take on the ‘big brother’ role. In school, whenever someone would cause trouble, Bobby was there to break that person’s nose no matter the gender. And whenever Olivia just needed someone, it was always Bobby who was there with a shoulder to lean on.

It wasn’t until after Olivia’s junior year of high school when Bobby began to notice her growing breasts, her unusually round ass and her ‘glowing’ smile. And it wasn’t until her senior year when she noticed Bobby’s broad shoulders, toned chest and charming personality. She’ll admit; it was strange to be dating someone she had known for years but she also knew if he was the one to always be there through thick and thin, he’d continue to be that person. That was, until the day he finally left.

"That's fair." Jerry stuffed his hands into his coat pockets, shielding them from the brisk wind. Averting his gaze to behind the woman, Jerry nodded and smiled toward that person. "If you didn't want to talk to Bobby, you might want to leave now," he said through his smile. Turning around, Olivia’s light eyes spotted Bobby in his favorite brown leather jacket walking beside Little Jackie. Completely ignoring her ex-lover’s presence, Olivia chose to smile back to her little brother – the reason why she truly arrived to the reception.

"Olivia!" Jack greeted, quickening his pace toward the woman. Olivia, smiling from ear to ear, met the man halfway and welcomed him with open arms. Of course, due to the extreme height different, Olivia’s head rested against his chest, her arms wrapping around his torso. "I've missed you so much," he whispered into her ear, making his older sister smile.

"I missed you too," she whispered back, pulling away slightly to get a better look at him. "How you have grown; I can't call you 'Little Jackie' anymore." Before Olivia left, Jackie was still about as tall as she was coming in at 5’5”. But as she stood in front of him, Olivia was forced to tilt her head toward the sky just to look at him. The man laughed at her comment before wrapping his arms around her one last time. It was at this point when Olivia slowly began to feel the hole burning through her back from Bobby’s hard stare, nevertheless, the woman chose to ignore him and look toward Jerry who was next in greeting his little brother.

"What's up kiddo? Come on, man. Give me a hug, man." Jerry embraced his little brother, just as happy to see him as any of his other siblings. As Jerry kept both Bobby and Jackie occupied, Olivia took a quick glance around to the other participants of the reception and spotted Green with his partner sitting in his undercover cruiser. Shaking her head, the woman averted her gaze back to the men who were reminiscing on their childhood. “Do you remember when I built that tree-house and you burnt the shit down?” Both Bobby and Jackie laughed at the memory as Olivia shook her head, knowing the truth about what happened.

\--

_"Bobby, we really shouldn't be up here." After Jerry had put in all the long and hard hours building his dream tree-house, Evelyn happily took the accomplished boy to the store to grab a few party favors in celebration of his success. Of course, Jerry refused to leave until Bobby and Olivia promised they wouldn’t go anywhere near the wooden structure as they ‘tended to fuck shit up’. His foul language earned a stern look from Evelyn and an eye-roll from Bobby; he wasn’t going to listen._

_"Shut up Liv; I do what I fucking want, you know that." Bobby grabbed Olivia’s hand and began pulling her up with him onto the floor of the tree-house, the girl falling on top of him. "Get your fat ass off me Friedman," he belted._

_"Way to help my confidence asshole." Climbing off him, Olivia rose to her feet and looked around. Despite being built and designed by a pre-teen, the tree-house looked exactly like many did on the television screen. Big enough for the Mercer brothers, it was decorated with a black shag rug covering half the wooden floor, a few bean bag chairs scattered around and a cooler that had yet to be filled. “This place looks awesome,” the young girl muttered before her eyes found a poster of a half-naked Pamela Anderson from Baywatch. Letting out an annoyed sigh, Olivia shook her head._

_"Yeah, he really did a good job." Bobby stood by the girl’s side, his eyes preoccupied with gleaming over the new hang out spot. “Want to do a little pre-celebrating?” Looking at him, Bobby held up what looked to be a joint. Smiling, Olivia nodded excitedly. After passing it back and forth, Olivia could feel herself going with the high, a dorky smile lingering on her lips as she sat still in one of the many bean bag chairs. At that point, Bobby suggested they played charades, which only intensified the high._

_"Pass the shit,” Olivia instructed as Bobby pulled out yet another one, lighting it._

_"Fuck you." Bobby took a hit, only pissing off the young girl._

_"Bobby Mercer, pass the fucking blunt."_

_"Bite me," he responded, blowing the smoke her way. Getting up from the beanbag, Olivia fell on top of him, grabbing his arm and biting hard. Hearing him scream, Olivia stopped and looked for what she needed._

_"Where is it?" Bobby shrugged. Just then, the two smelled something burning; they looked to the rug which had already caught on fire."Fuck!" Olivia quickly jumped off Bobby who had already gotten halfway off the chair. “What do we do?” Liv inquired, panicking._

_"Run!" Following close behind him, the duo climbed down the latter and ran to find Evelyn and Jerry running toward them after seeing the smoke rising from the tree-house. Scared, Olivia grabbed onto Bobby knowing the fire was her fault. “Don’t worry, I got this,” Bobby whispered toward the girl, putting a comforting hand on hers._

_"What did you two do?" Evelyn cried out dropping the bags she had._

_"My tree-house!” Jerry exclaimed, his eyes glossing over as he watched his project begin to burn._

_"I went up there to check it out and I lit a cigarette but I fell asleep with it lit. Liv came up and saw and she pulled me down." Looking to Bobby, Olivia was amazed by his lying ability, but was also thankful he was taking the blame for it. "She saved my life." Nodding along, Liv looked to Jerry who was still staring at his masterpiece._

\--

"Boy I wanted to kick your ass." Jerry spoke with a light chuckle.

"Don't worry your house is brick, I ain't gon’ burn it down," Bobby assured as he turned to look at Olivia. In his eyes she could see he too remembered what had really happened, but Bobby was never going to reveal the truth.

"Well now, yeah." Jerry turned and waved for his siblings to follow into his house. Jackie, unaware of eyes on him, reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette, immediately lighting it. As soon as Olivia saw this, the woman stepped to him and ripped the cancer stick out from his mouth, throwing it on the ground and stepping on it.

“Now pick it up and throw the rest of it out in the trash can,” she instructed him, her stern eyes glaring at him and her voice authoritative. Jackie did just as he was told and quickly walked into the house as Olivia stayed outside, watching as the men joined Jerry in the warmth. She contemplated her actions carefully; should she join them and convince Jack to stop smoking, or leave as her goal was completed?

"These kids are congressman compared to what they would have been." Recognizing the voice, Olivia turned to find Green out of the car with his partner following. Still Olivia tried desperately to get a read on the unfamiliar man but she couldn’t place the gut feeling she had. “Surprised you're here. Would have thought you would eighty-sixed by now,” Green spoke, his teeth chattering.

"Wanted to see how the family was doing, Green. Surprised to see you here, thought you would have been busy installing cameras around town now that the Mercer crew is back."

"No need for an attitude Detective,” Green suggested. “I came to see how the brothers are doing." Stepping aside, Olivia sarcastically showed the way toward the door.

"Be my guest." They passed her, Fowler keeping his gaze on her. Raising a brow to him with a scowl, this caused the man to look away. _What is up with him?_ Olivia mentally questioned before finally joining the party inside the home. As soon as her foot stepped inside, Camille pulled her over to the living room where Jerry was.

"I'll be right back,” she informed them as Jerry raised a brow at Olivia. She knew what it meant, and she also knew there was no getting around his taunts.

"I saw the way he looked at you,” Jerry began. “He still loves you." As Jerry continued speaking, Olivia watched Bobby who was located out in the backyard with their niece’s.

"Green's here," Olivia stated, changing the subject. But she kept her gaze on Bobby, wishing she would have chosen the option to get the hell out of town. Watching Bobby with the girls caused memories to float back of their previous conversations about kids and how bad Bobby wanted to be a father. But one never did come seeing as Olivia worked hard as a cop; she wasn’t going to bring a child into a world where the mother might never make it back home.

"I'm surprised he hasn't tried to speak to you yet." Jerry continued his rampage on coaxing Olivia to speak about what had happened.

"I'm not too fond of his partner though,” Olivia mumbled, still keeping the subject away.

"Why do you keep avoiding him?"

"Why do you keep talking about him?” Finally, Olivia’s gaze fell upon Jerry who sported a small smile. “Jerry, I told you; what happened is between us. I don't want to talk about it."

"Jerry!" It was a good thing Camille joined the two as Olivia was ready to storm out from the house, never to return again. "I thought you said he wasn't coming." To her words, Olivia raised a brow; it seemed Olivia wasn’t the only one who did not want Bobby around.

"No, I said I didn't know if he was coming or not. I ain't seen him in … Lord knows how many years; you know it's hard to track that Bobby down." Camille smacked her lips and rested her hands on her hips; readying herself for a possible fight to come. "Don't give me that look Camille – I am way through with that life." Before leaving to attend to the rest of the reception attendees, Camille gave him one last warning glare and stomped off.

Jerry, already hesitant in acknowledging Olivia, spotted the smirk the woman wore and shook his head. “Don’t say it.” Olivia held her hands up, taking one last look outside to notice Green found the other brothers. It was then when Olivia realized there was one missing from the Mercer crew.

"Jerry, where's Angel?" There wasn’t much history between Olivia and Angel. There were just some people who clicked and others who didn’t; Olivia and Angel never really clicked growing up. Angel had that dry sarcastic humor which wasn’t funny but more malicious while Olivia was an emotional child who was quick to hit when angered. Many fights had broken out between the two kids because of this and there were many moments when Evelyn would have to separate the two into opposite corners of the room because of the fights. And yet, Olivia felt bummed for the lack of attendance from the least liked brother.

"I don't know; boy joined the Marines so he's probably stuck somewhere." Olivia nodded. Her eyes stayed glued on Green and the other men as they made their way into the home. Seeing this as her queue to leave, the woman was shocked to find Jerry’s arms wrapping around her. "Thanks for coming, Liv,” the man spoke softly; she knew what he was doing.

"You're leaving already?" Jackie’s voice rang behind her as Jeremiah pulled away from the hug, a victorious smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Yeah, I gotta hit the road and find a hotel room before they all get sold out," she explained, rubbing the back of her neck.

"No don’t do that, you can stay at Ma's house; it'll save you money." She knew Jackie’s request was with good intention, but Olivia knew there was no way she could handle sleeping under the same roof as Bobby Mercer; she could barely handle being under Jerry’s roof with him just a few feet away.

"She doesn't have to worry about money." Green butted in again. "She got promoted to detective a year ago." The brothers, all unaware of what Olivia had been up to all this time, smiled her way with soft congratulatory mumbles; Bobby excluded.

"Wow, a detective now huh? That's great.” She absolutely refused to look at him, no matter how hard he tried to get her attention or eye level, Olivia would not give him the satisfaction of knowing exactly how she felt about him and all his idiotic tendencies.

"Gentlemen, thought you ought to be informed that Green is a stalker and I'm his main target. So if I ever end up missing, he’s the prime suspect." Olivia maneuvered her way around the men as they all exchanged confused glances, except for Green. Patting him on the chest, Olivia shot him a sarcastic smile before making her way toward the door, escaping from the chokehold she felt she was in.

The winter air was chilled as the wind greeted her. Nighttime was quickly approaching which meant it was only going to get colder. Quickly getting to her car, Olivia couldn’t help but feel the urge to scream; scream at Bobby, scream at the world and most of all, scream at herself for letting Bobby get to her. _Wow a detective, huh? That’s great._ His words echoed in her mind; hearing all the sarcastic octaves he had voiced.

Detective Olivia Friedman, the toughest female Sex Crimes Detective in New York City, the one that faced the most heinous monsters every day, and she couldn’t even face her ex; pathetic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I appreciate you taking the time to read this! If you could be so kind to leave kudos and/or a comment. Also, please check out my tumblr blog (jewelswrites-ish) if you have one; I also have a blog specifically for this fic (oliviafriedman). Thanks again!


	3. Ma's House

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The siblings return to their mother's house, having to deal with the heavy emotion.

"Olivia!" A soft sigh escaped her partially closed lips as Olivia placed a hand on the hood of her car. Without turning, the woman knew it was Jackie running after her, doing what he could to try and convince her to stay at Evelyn’s home instead of ‘wasting’ her money. Once he was beside her, Olivia turned to look at him. “Don’t give me that look,” Jackie pleaded, letting out a huff. “Please don’t go.” With his words came a hug, another tactic to try and mush up to her. Unfortunately for Olivia, it worked. Feeling him lightly kiss the top of her head, Olivia raised a brow looking up to him.

"I gotta find a hotel room Jackie, but I'll call the house when I find one." Olivia went to open her car door, but was stopped by Jackie’s loose grip on her arm.

"It’s 'cause of Bobby, isn't it?" The woman stood frozen where she was, unprepared to admit the inevitable. But it seemed, even while they hadn’t seen each other for years, little Jackie could still read her like a book. "I can see how the two of you tense when you're in the same room." Olivia peered up to him through her lashes. "Livy, you're the strongest person I know. You were always there when I needed you; I really need you now. Don't let Bobby make your decisions about leaving; your little brother needs you and you need your little brother." 

Being the ‘toughest person’ and working in her line of work, there were very few moments when Olivia allowed herself to break down her walls enough to felicitate tears; and yet, Jackie knew exactly what to say causing them to jerk.

But he was right, in times like these family needed family whether she liked it or not. He was also right about Bobby; if she didn’t allow him to control her then, why now? Closing the door to her vehicle, Olivia took the few steps closing the gap between her and Jackie, wrapping her arms around him.

"Okay Jackie, I'll stay." The smile which littered his lips brought a smile to her face; seeing the joy in him made her miss being around the troublemaker.

"Alright, since we're done with family reunions, let's get the hell out of here,” Bobby announced as he walked toward his car.

"Can I ride with you?" Jackie asked with pleading eyes. Giving him a nod, Olivia entered her car and immediately revved it on, blasting the heat. Pulling out from the spot, Olivia trailed behind Bobby with Jerry following behind her. There was no need to play follow the leader as Olivia still remembered how to get to Evelyn’s house; the streets were all still familiar. The trek didn’t take long but by the time they had arrived, the sun had fully set; waving goodbye as the night sky welcomed the moon and stars. That night brought a bright full moon, illuminating their paths alongside the dim street lamps.

Olivia happily took the last open parking spot located in front of the home she once occupied. Looking over to the now rundown house, the woman spotted a small light lit in the living room with a figure visible on the couch.

\--

_ "Where do you think you're going?" Rolling her eyes, a young Olivia zipped up her jacket as her father, sitting on the couch stuffing his face with Doritos, looked his daughter up and down. _

_ "I'm gonna hang out with the brothers for a little, I told you that earlier." Grabbing her wallet, she headed for the door but was met by her father blocking her exit. "Wow Dad, didn't think you could move your fat ass that quick." Her comment resulted with her father striking her cheek with his backhand. Holding her cheek, rubbing the pain away, Olivia harshly stared back at her father. "How'd that make you feel?" _

_ "Not as good as what I'm about to do to you." Realizing what he meant, the girl ran for the back door but was quickly caught before she could reach it. _

_ "Let go!" she screamed, trying desperately to escape his grasp; but his grip was too strong. Feeling his hands go up her shirt, the girl cried as she braced herself for the following actions. _

\--

A single tear fell from her eye as the horrid memories of her prior abuse continued to flood her mind like a never ending stream causing her to lower her head. The woman closed her eyes, trying her best to find her happy medium and pack up enough strength to push the memories from her mind. It had been years since she was haunted by her father; the torture he had put her through in the confines of their home. No one would ever be able to understand why society harms each other, but in the field she worked her way into, Olivia continued to wonder why so many were hurt in the most brutal ways. Especially children.

It was always a spiritual war battling within her soul between believing in the Almighty and not believing. 

How, if He had created the world, would He allow mankind to destroy not the only livable planet, but one another? Why, if He loved the world so much, would He allow the most heinous of sins to be committed? 

It was a question no one would ever be able to answer even when she questioned many priests and pastors about it; she’d always receive the generic bible verses which explained mankind’s free will and the very popular thought ‘everything happens for a reason’.

With a huff, Olivia shook her head before raising it. Jackie, finally realizing the struggle she was going through, wiped away the tear from her cheek. Confused on what caused Olivia to become emotional, the man looked over to realize which monsters were haunting her. "Olivia that's over now." Looking over to Jackie, the woman offered a small smile before nodding.

"I know, Jackie." Without another word Olivia exited her car, stepping into another cold Detroit night, and quickly grabbed the bags she had brought. Bobby, who also had exited his vehicle, kept his gaze on Olivia instantly noticing the redness in her eyes and in her cheeks. Despite his hate of seeing the only woman he truly loved in pain, the redness was all too familiar as he knew he was the reason for it many times over. However, this time around Bobby wasn’t sure if the conversations in her car resulted to the tears, the death of their adoptive mother or seeing him again after almost a year of no contact. 

Noticing Bobby’s glance, Jackie jumped at the opportunity to save his sister. "So shit Bobby, what have you been up to?" Jackie asked him.

"I'm a freaking college professor Jack, what do you think I've been doing?" Earning an eye roll and a shake of the head from Olivia, Bobby couldn’t help but laugh at his own words, silently thanking Jack for breaking the awkward silence.

"I doubt that," Jack said under his breath.

"Same old Bobby," Jerry mumbled, adding onto the conversation.

"What about you? You still sucking a little cock left and right or what?" Again Olivia rolled her eyes, but this time she made it obvious how annoyed she was with Bobby teasing Jack with the same homophobic retoric he would use in the past.

Ever since they were little, Bobby had poked fun at the fact that Jack was a little more in tune with his feminine side than the other boys; Olivia saw nothing wrong with this. As children, Olivia always stood up for little Jackie whenever Bobby would begin his rampage; years later, Olivia knew it was not going to be different. 

Olivia, Bobby, Jerry and Jack all stood on the porch as they waited for Jerry to unlock the door.

"Y'all ain't right leaving me out here in the cold like this." It was Angel, arriving late to Detroit due to his flight taking much longer than expected. The brothers all greeted the Marine, taking turns with their on his late arrival.

"Yo little brother you asshole,” Bobby greeted.

"I missed my plane," Angel said, defending himself. Bobby embraced his little brother in a hug before Jerry stepped in and joined in the embrace. 

"You missed our mother’s funeral too, jarhead." Bobby, tired of being out in the cold, took the keys from Jerry and waited for the rest of his siblings to be ready for the inevitable dread awaiting them.

"You shaved your afro, huh?" It was Jack's turn to greet his brother. Holding back a bout of laughter, Olivia watched as Jack and Angel hugged. “Did you get your teeth whitened?” Jackie continued with the teasing. Now, Olivia’s laughter was audible, making Bobby glance over.

"Wow Olivia it's been a while." Now it was the woman’s turn to be greeted. "You look damn good." Playfully hitting Angel’s shoulder, Olivia followed closely behind Jack as they all packed inside the foyer of the home. It was the last piece of Evelyn they had and immediately Olivia began to get emotional. There were too many beautiful and meaningful memories held in the home; for a brief moment she wondered who acquired the residence.

"I'm gonna get something to eat,” Angel mumbled, beginning his way toward the kitchen.

"Are y'all hungry?" Jerry inquired, offering to grab something from the supermarket or a fast-food restaurant.

"No, I'm gonna get some sleep," Olivia quickly answered, trailing up the stairs behind Bobby.

"Jackie take your old room,” Bobby began, immediately taking over the role of big brother once again. “Angel take yours. I'll sleep in Ma's room." Stopping half way up the flight of stairs, Olivia sighed in frustration as she did not want to get into an argument in front of the brothers - nor did she want to get into an argument in general.

"And what about me?" Olivia asked, folding her arms across her chest. Bobby walked to the top of the stairs, staring down at her.

"You can sleep with me,” he responded, putting on a slight smirk as Olivia scuffed.

"Comedy doesn't suit you well Bobby."

"Oh, college girl thinks she's so smart." Glaring up at him, Olivia suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Liv, you can sleep in my bed; I'll sleep on the floor." Looking over her shoulder to Jack, Olivia offered a grateful smile and continued her way up the stairs. Pushing Bobby aside, she knew he wanted to snap but kept his cool as his brothers were around. Olivia felt as if that was the perfect representation of their relationship toward the end; in front of others, Olivia was treated like the queen she was, but at home the woman felt more like an overworked maid who was underappreciated. She promised, for so many years, she’d never allow a man to treat her as a 1950’s housewife who was trained to simply cook and clean and bear children while the men got to do whatever they pleased.

Like many modern women, Olivia hated the double standard and thrived to ensure she would never be a co-dependent, helpless woman who couldn’t do anything on her own. And now, being that independent, hard-working woman who was better off alone, the woman believed Bobby couldn’t handle the thought.

With Jack close behind her, they both entered his old room – everything still intact looking as if little eighteen year old Jackie never left. However, the room held nothing for the woman as she sighed and dropped her bags by the foot of the bed, plopping herself down. “Don’t let him get to you,” Jackie advised as he took a seat next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"That's easier said than done, Jack," she pouted, letting her head fall onto his shoulder. “Things just got so different from how we were. It was no longer love I felt but dread to come home; dread to see him and his irresponsible attitude.” Looking at the time, Olivia realized it was getting late and before Jack could ask her to continue, Olivia rose to her feet. “I’m gonna take a quick shower before everyone uses all the hot water.” Jackie tried to speak to her as the woman reached into her bag, grabbing a black T-shirt, jeans and everything else needed to clean herself up from the stressful day. “I’ll be back,” was all Olivia mumbled as she made her way out of the room. Jackie nodded and gripped tightly onto the neck of his guitar, swinging it so it lay against his stomach.

Once out of the room, Olivia realized there was someone else in the hallway. Almost bumping into Angel, Olivia grabbed onto his arm, holding herself up from fall. “Sorry,” she apologized with a light laugh. “Guess the clumsiness hasn’t faltered.”

"It's all good baby girl,” Angel assured, moving closer to the wall so Olivia could get by. “Hey, can I ask you what happened between you and Bobby?”

"You can ask, but I won't answer." Angel nodded in understanding and shrugged as he walked toward his room. 

Starting for the bathroom, Olivia shut the door behind her, quickly locking it. As soon as she heard the sound of the lock fastening, it suddenly felt as if she was free. Finally free to let every frustrated emotion out, free from having to bite her tongue; temporarily free from the world and all its stresses. Stripping the clothes from her body, she could slowly feel her muscles relax; Jack was right. Even to this day, Bobby Mercer continued to make her body feel different things,  _ that's just fucking great. _

__

As she jumped in the shower, the woman quickly turned on the hot water. Feeling the warm liquid hitting her skin, it felt as if all her troubles were fading away. With every drop hitting her olive skin, another worry was erased from memory. She grabbed the soap and lathered herself; mentally dreading the moment she would be done. Since she was a little girl the bathroom was always her safe haven as it was the only room with a lock. Years later and the room was still her haven; no one dared to bother her. At that moment, for a brief moment, she wished she would have followed her gut and gotten a hotel room.

Turning off the water, she could hear the faint sound of Jack’s fingers strumming away on his acoustic guitar. In her opinion Jack was exceptional on the instrument, but it was Bobby who would tease the boy whenever he had picked it up as they were getting older. Hearing his progress without Bobby in the picture to torment him caused the woman to smile; he really had grown. Her thoughts continued on how proud she was of Jackie as she stepped out from the updated bathtub turned shower, wrapping herself with her packed towel. Because of the level of hot Olivia liked to use during her showers, the steam had caused the mirror to fog. And as she stared into her clouded reflection, she couldn’t help but compare it to her situation; in the house she was forced to mask everything she was feeling and everything she was.

Rolling her eyes to her own thoughts, Olivia quickly dried and clothed herself, basically running out from her solitude to join Jackie. With her gaze lifted she noticed Jerry leaning against the doorframe, his hands in his brown slacks. "I'm happy to see my brothers, that's all."

"Happy to see you too Jerry," Olivia interrupted as she passed by him, entering the room. Looking down, she spotted Bobby staring up at her; his back leaned against Jack’s twin sized mattress as he sat on the floor. Ignoring his glance, the woman walked to her large luggage and placed her belongings away.

"You know I'm always happy to see you Liv," Jerry added with a smile. The woman flashed one of her famous sarcastic smirks before she leaned against the wall, her arms folded across her chest. “I guess I’ll stop by the grocery store and grab a turkey or something; have a Thanksgiving dinner. Let’s a least act like we’re real family … Mom would like that.” 

Silence fell upon them as they all silently agreed with Jerry’s statement. Olivia’s gaze traveled from Jerry to Bobby, who in turn did the same. As much as they both wanted to alleviate the awkward tension from any room they would occupy together, they needed to do it for Evelyn. 

"Where you think you're going?" Angel had walked out from his room with a heavy jacket on and black Timberland boots, looking as if he was up to something.

"It's a little heavy in there, man,” he began. “I'm gonna just go outside and get me a little air." Though the siblings had spent many years apart, there was one thing that stayed the same; Angel was a terrible liar. They all knew his words translated to ‘ _ since I’m back home, I’m gonna go see what Sofie is doing and get me some ass _ .’ They all exchanged glances before they were uplifted with a round of laughter.

"You're full of shit man; you can smell that ass from down the street, huh?" Bobby teased, looking up to his brother; guilt written on his face.

"What are you talking about?" Angel fought.

"What do you mean 'what' man? Come on, what, man. You know exactly what we talking about with La Vida Loca."

"Ain't nobody gonna get no La Vida Loca."

"She got a boyfriend," Jerry added.

"She got a boyfriend," Jack and Olivia repeated in union, exchanging glances.

"She got hard dick in her right now, she screaming somebody else's name and the last thing she doin’ is thinkin’ about yo’ black ass. Leave it alone, man." As the eldest brother spoke, the other siblings laughed at his words. For a split second it felt as if they were kids again joking around in the rooms, laughing and messing around; the days Olivia missed the most with the brothers.

"I can't even believe y'all coming at me with this crazy junk, man,” Angel whined.

"She's nothing but trouble, Angel," Olivia reminded him, sitting next to Jack.

"I'm standing here telling y'all I'm not gonna see that girl, and I'm not!"

"Alright then Angel, go. But when you come back I'm gon’ have Jackie here smell your dick to see where you went." As Angel walked down the stairs his hands raised in the air in defeat, Olivia reached over and smacked Bobby on the arm for his comment. He looked up to her, surprised, but the expression quickly faded into a taunting smile. “Are we back to that again?”

“We will continue to be back there until you stop with the jokes.” As she defended Jack, she could feel her little brother touch her arm, slightly pulling her away from Bobby. It wasn’t until then when Olivia realized she had puffed her chest out a bit, challenging the man.

"Liv, it’s fine," Jack assured her; worried his two older siblings would get into a long awaited battle.

"See, everything's cool." Bobby said, getting to his feet. Bobby closely followed Jerry down the stairs; Olivia watched, reluctantly keeping her mouth shut. Once they were out of view, the woman let out a strenuous sigh, shrugging off Jack’s touch.


	4. Just Another Thanksgiving Day pt. 1

* * *

"Loco Ono is not staying in this house!" Her light eyes snapped open from the familiar booming voice of Bobby Mercer coming from the lower floor. Rubbing the sleep from the corner of her eyes, she searched the ground for Jack but was met with folded blankets at the foot of her bed; no sign of Jack having slept there that night. With tugged brows, the woman rose to her feet holding the blanket tightly around her body to keep herself warm, and headed out of the room to investigate the reason behind Bobby’s annoyance.

"Bullshit Bobby!" Angel's voice rang louder; and from what Olivia could tell, it was an argument were Angel was defending his new/old girlfriend. With their voices raised, Olivia pulled the blanket around her ears, shaking her head from the drama.  _ It is too damn early to deal with this shit, _ she thought.

"I don't care! La Vida Loca ain't staying in this house one more night so get her stuff…" Sofie stood confidently behind Angel on the stairs, backing him up with her voice raised and hand in the air.

"Is this your house?"

"This ain't no homeless shelter!" Bobby yelled back, waving his hockey stick around.

"You ain't running shit Bobby!"

"Hey Bobby, _ por que tu no callas, pendejo _ ?" Because of the many years Olivia had spent taking Spanish courses throughout high school and college, she understood exactly what Sofie had screamed at her ex-lover. Slowly taking steps down the stairs to avoid any more arguing, a small smile tugged that the corner of her lips from Sofie’s words, wishing she could have said the exact same the previous night. Once she reached the first floor, Bobby stopped Olivia with a hand on her shoulder.

"What did she say?" he whispered.

"Why don't you shut up, stupid," Olivia answered before joining Jerry in the living room. The brothers continued to argue back and forth, with Sofie trying to interfere … just like old times. Sitting back on the couch, Olivia couldn’t help the smirk tugging at the corner of her lips, her head resting against the seat. Memories flashed through her mind of Bobby and Angel arguing, their faces decades younger and free of the stress brought on by life. But of course there was one person missing from the picture; a white haired woman who would sit in the very seat Olivia was sitting in, knitting and smiling at the boys while keeping a close eye on them just in case things would get out of hand. 

"Can you stop talking to my girl like that, man?" Finally Sofie listened to Angel’s request in allowing him to handle the argument. She back up the stairs while the two men relocated their conversation to the living room.

"She wasn't your girl as of yesterday, right? She had another man so I'm confused." Bobby lowered his voice; Olivia silently thanked him for sparing her headache.

"What are you talking about? She is my girl."

"He's right!" Jerry added, agreeing with Bobby.

"Let's just play some fucking Turkey Cup, man, how 'bout that?" Bobby threw down his hockey stick, hitting the puck into the kitchen.

"Watch it!" Hearing Jackie's voice coming from the kitchen, the woman looked to see him throwing the puck back into the living room.

"Sorry Jackie." Bobby apologized and took the puck. "What do you say Jerry, wanna play some Turkey cup today?"

"Maybe, man. Remember, I got a family back home that I gotta see for Thanksgiving too." It hadn’t clicked in her head that the holiday had been so close; as a detective it didn’t matter what day it was, work still had to be done. Realizing the day was Thanksgiving, Olivia slumped deeper in the couch, biting her bottom lip.  _ That’s why Jackie’s in the kitchen, _ she thought, getting to her feet and making her way over to her little brother.

"And you Livy?" Bobby asked her, kicking the puck her way.

"We'll see," she answered, stopping the puck with her bare foot. Instead of hitting it back the woman entered the kitchen, seeing Jackie seasoning the turkey; she couldn’t help but laugh. "You know, you're not helping your own case with Bobby if he sees you cooking." Taking the spices from his hands, Olivia continued the seasoning, hoping to spare him from the homophobic jokes Bobby would surely spit if he were to see Jack in the kitchen. He laughed with a shrug.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Jack took a seat at the table, leaning the seat against the wall. "How'd you sleep last night?"

"Good," she answered with a nod. "For once I slept without waking up during the middle of the night."

"That's good."

"How'd you sleep?" she questioned, still feeling guilty for pushing him to the floor.

"Surprisingly comfortable for sleeping on the floor." Briefly looking at him with a smile, the woman couldn't help but think back to all the fun times they had in the kitchen, baking with Evelyn. "Remember that time we were baking chocolate chip cookies and we made a complete mess?"

"Which time?" Olivia countered with a laugh. There were plenty of times where the children destroyed the kitchen with and without Evelyn present. But a gut feeling told her Jack had meant the first time they had any kind of romantic moment. Keeping her gaze on the turkey, the woman moved it from the counter to the oven. During this process she tried desperately to block out the memory but it was clear Jackie had taken a trip down memory lane. It wasn’t a bad memory, hell, Olivia had occasionally thought back to it in rare moments. But to think about all the times when Jack had shown her the way he really felt about her, it caused a guilty feeling to radiate within her.

* * *

_ "Go get the chocolate chips from the cupboard." A young Olivia stirred the cookie dough, adding a little more milk into the batch. As Jackie dug through the cabinets, she watched closely as he struggled to reach. "Did you need help getting it?" the worried girl asked, slightly amused. Jackie looked her way and frowned. _

_ "No, I don't need your help," he snapped back, annoyed with Olivia’s hidden joke about his height. "I just need to grow a few more inches." Jackie reached again for the chocolate chips, but as he put more pressure on the bottom shelf, it snapped, causing everything to fall. In that cabinet, Evelyn had kept a large bag of flour; a large cloud of white dust poured onto the floor and all over Jack. Olivia couldn’t contain her laughter as the scene was one almost out of a movie; she fell to the floor, holding her stomach.  _

_ “You think that’s funny?” Jack asked, irritated. Still the girl couldn’t stop laughing. Instead of answering, she laid on the floor, her eyes closed with tears running down her cheeks. It wasn’t another second later when she felt something hit her face. Opening her eyes, Olivia had realized Jack hand thrown a handful of flour, most of it getting inside her open mouth. _

_ "Oh you are so going to regret that," she said, desperately spitting out the white powder. Running over to where the flour was piled, she grabbed a handful and threw it at the boy, retaliating. Their horse play continued; the two throwing fist full of flour back and forth in the kitchen coating each surface with a thin layer of white dust.  _

_ Finally Evelyn entered the kitchen, instantly yelling at the two of them to pick up the mess. Once she left the room, the two exchanged glances and laughed. It wasn’t until she felt the small touch of Jack’s fingertips on her arm when she realized the close proximity they were in. Looking over to him, the girl could feel his hot breath on her; she moved away. Her heart belonged to Bobby; and Jack knew this. _

* * *

"Come to think of it, every time we made cookies there was an adventure or fight," he said, changing his statement. Olivia laughed along with him, knowing just how reckless they were when it came to the kitchen appliances and baking.

Walking into the living room after finally changing into casual wear, Olivia found Bobby, Angel and Jerry in the living room, settled down after the argument about Sofie; their eyes glued to the old television. With the only spot available being next to Bobby, the woman let out a small huff before she walked over to him. Bobby had laid across the couch, his leg resting comfortably on the cushions while the other rested on the ground. He didn’t move his leg earning a glare. “Could you please move your leg?” she asked him, trying desperately to leave any sarcasm out of the question.

"Why don't you make me, detective?" he responded with a smirk. Offering him a small smile, Olivia dropped herself onto the couch, landing on his leg; causing him to let out a loud groan. “Get your fat-ass off my leg!” With a victorious smile, Olivia slightly lifted herself from the couch long enough for Bobby to remove his leg.

"Thank you," she said sarcastically, keeping her gaze to the television. As they all quietly watched the hockey game, from the corner of her eye she could see Angel grabbing the poker chips from the table. At first the woman didn't pay much attention to it, knowing Angel had a mild form of adult Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, but after hearing Jerry scolding his brother, Olivia looked over to investigate.

"Don't start man." Bobby sighed, knowing he wasn't going to be able to watch the game for long as Angel began his childish play; throwing the poker chips to his siblings. "Why do you always do that?" he asked, catching a few chips.

"Shut up." Angel threw a few more toward Bobby, rolling his eyes at his brother.

"To be aggravating," Jerry responded, answering Bobby's question. Angel mocked him and threw more his way, hitting him in the face.

"Chill out man, I'm watching the game. Why don't ya'll hold that down?"

"You a woman." Inhaling a good amount of air, Olivia watched in annoyance as the boys continued to bicker. Letting it out, she couldn’t help but smile at their immaturity; it was like living in the past only everyone was much taller, older, with less patience.

"Get him, Jerry!" Bobby yelled, instigating the situation.

"Try it one more time," Jerry threatened, his voice calm.

"What you gon' do?"

"You'll see."

"Big-ass teeth, bite me?" Angel taunted, making Bobby and Olivia laugh in unison.

"You do got some big-ass teeth Jerry," Bobby said through his laughter. Olivia playfully hit Bobby on the arm as Angel and Jerry finally went at it. "The Gorgeous Black Ladies of wrestling, Nitro and Midnight. Nitro got Midnight in a headlock!"

"Get 'em Jerry!" the woman yelled, playing along with the boys. For the first time in a long time, she felt like one of the boys again. The smile stayed planted on her face as she watched her two brothers begin to wrestle with Jerry winning … as usual. It always bothered Angel when they were younger whenever Jerry would win their fights. Then again, back in the day, Angel didn’t have the muscles he had grown from being in the Marines but was a scrawny little twig who used to get bullied for it. Jerry, on the other hand, looked as if he didn’t have the muscles to stand up for himself, but he proved many times over he wasn’t one to mess with, and Angel even knew this.

"Alright, alright, alright." Finally Angel gave up, giving the signal.

"I'm still your big brother," Jerry reminded him with a laugh. Angel and Jerry gave each other a brotherly hug before sitting back down, watching the rest of the game. Bobby laughed at them while Olivia got to her feet, heading for the kitchen. Spotting Jackie checking on the turkey, she sat at the table.

"Feels like we're kids again, doesn't it?" he asked with a smile as he closed the over. Smiling down at him, she agreed.

"In a weird twisted way, I'll have to agree with you," she responded looking out to the living room. Angel, Jerry and Bobby had settled and sat quickly watching TV. As soon as she averted her gaze, she could feel Bobby's eyes on her, watching her closely, trying to get a good read on her. There was something different about her now, something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. Though they had had their fights and arguments, never had Olivia avoided him – as if he was a contagious plague. Throughout the years they had known each other, no matter how many or how bad the fights were, Bobby was able to weasel his way back into her heart; this time was different. Tugging his brows together, the man forced the thoughts away and rose to his feet.

"Come on man, let's eat. Bring out that bird!" Bobby yelled, making his way toward the kitchen. Olivia found Jack’s gaze, beckoning for her to follow him in getting the table ready and set for dinner. Taking a pile from her little brother, Olivia went toward the dining room; Bobby took the dishes from her, shooing her away. This confused the woman; but what confused her the most was Bobby’s usage of the word ‘princess’. He never called her pet names but always called her by her name. Even when they were dating, ‘babe’ was never in his vernacular. Raising a brow toward him, Olivia backed away toward the living room, her attention being pulled to Angel and Jerry who stared at her in bewilderment.

"Did that just happen?" Angel asked as Olivia averted her gaze to Bobby who began helping his little brother with the table. "Must be up to something."

Exactly what Olivia was thinking.


	5. Just Another Thanksgiving, pt. 2

* * *

"Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.” Bobby began the Thanksgiving dinner prayer as the siblings stood around the tables, hands clasped together and heads bowed as a sign of respect. “Thank you for this day, thank you for this meal we're about to receive and thank you for bringing us together. Amen." His short prayer was appreciated by the rest of the small family as they were all hungry. Olivia especially appreciated the shortness as the seat left for her was beside Bobby - in between him and Jack just like always. 

Almost immediately they sat and hands began grabbed at different plates. Olivia leaned forward and gripped the salad bowl tightly, passing it to Bobby as her other hand took hold of the mashed potatoes. 

They all felt it; the tension building up as their eyes all briefly shifted toward the empty seat at the head of the table. Evelyn’s seat. Olivia looked over to the chair and immediately felt sorrow in her heart and a lump began to rise in her throat. She missed her more than she had led on; Evelyn was the only person she could trust or go with her problems. It was Evelyn who she would call after tough work hours and on her days off, Olivia would describe not in great detail, the cases she was working on that had bothered her. Olivia would be lying if she said Evelyn hadn’t helped her solve a few cases with her intuition which seemed to always be on point. 

A slight lip quiver and a sigh, the woman reluctantly pulled her attention away from the empty chair and focused more on the turkey and gravy on her plate. But she wasn’t the only one missing the elderly woman; the men also fought with their gaze eventually landing on the empty chair - each man envisioning their mother figure in different ways.

"Close your mouth Angel," Jerry started, looking up from his food. "You think you a cow or something?" 

Angel looked down to his food in shame before his attention was once again pulled to the head of the table. Olivia noticed as Angel pulled down on his sleeve, hiding the new tattoo he had acquired from the military; a few seconds later he smiled. The woman could only assume Angel was envisioning Evelyn’s response to seeing him with yet another tattoo.

To her right, Jack stared off in the direction of where Evelyn normally sat, his eyes glistening with tears. "Jackie.” Olivia whispered his name, putting a hand on his arm to snap him out of his mind. 

"To hell with this man." Bobby threw down the napkin on his food, getting to his feet. "Let's go get a pick-up game; I wanna see some quick sticks and some tight passes." With the glass of whiskey in his hand, he stirred the brown liquid with his finger as he looked toward his siblings.

"It's too cold man, I ain't come all this way out here to play no hockey," Angel protested, taking a sip from his drink.

"Come on ladies; let's show these guys some fuckin' skills!" His statement forced a shake of the head from Olivia. She took one last bite from the turkey and nodded toward Jackie. He nodded back, indicating he was okay. Olivia rose to her feet earning a puzzled look from Jerry and Angel.

"You know Bobby isn't going to take no for an answer when it comes to turkey cup," she pointed out with a shrug. “And I really don’t feel like fighting today.” Angel and Jerry both agreed before quickly finishing their food as Jackie and Olivia made their way to the room. 

Olivia took a quick glance over to her brother, analyzing him briefly. “You okay?” she asked, concerned. Jackie nodded, but Olivia could tell in his body language he was fazed by his thoughts. “Lying sack of shit,” she mumbled under her breath before pulling out a thermal and a heavy pair of jeans, as well as a long sleeve shirt and a hoodie to place under her pea coat; though she wasn’t in a mood to play Turkey Cup, Olivia loved to watch the boys rough up the neighborhood jackasses. 

Jackie gave Olivia the room for privacy as he moved himself to the bathroom. She peeled off her clothes, catching a glimpse of herself in the full-length mirror. She stared. Not at herself, but the scar permanently branded on her stomach just below her belly button. Running her hand down the bruise, memories rushed.

* * *

_After radioing the robbery in progress, Olivia decided to try and handle the situation on her own. Entering the house, she held her gun in the standard position. “I know you’re in here, just come out and we can negotiate things.” There was no reply, but she heard footsteps behind her. Instead of the perp, there stood a uniform - a man wearing police attire matching the NYPD. “Thank God you’re here. I’m not prepared for this; how many of you are here?” she asked, looking out the window. However, she saw no cruiser – no evidence of fellow police officers to join her at the scene. Looking back at the man, she kept her expression straight. “You responded really fast, too, were you in the area?” she asked, stalling._

_“Yeah, I was actually down the road,” he answered. “What is it that you need?” Many cops shows, whether reality tv or fiction, show sequences of police officers radioing for help. Whenever this happens, an officer is supposed to give a description of the crime; any officer coming to help Olivia should know what the issue was._

_Shaking her head, Olivia kept her gun raised and pointed. “I just need you to wait outside, I got this covered. if I need help, I’ll call you.” The perp showed signs of taking the bait, almost making Olivia smile._

_“Sounds like a plan.” Turning, he walked out the door, Olivia following behind him. He walked silently before spotting the real cops pulling up to the house with their red and blue lights flashing. The next thing that happened was too quick; Olivia didn’t realize what had hit her until after she was lying on the ground, a very warm liquid oozing from her stomach. The only thing she could hear was her partner asking if she was okay, begging her to hold on. But as everything around her was moving in slow motion, there was only one thing she was worried about._

* * *

Hearing a knock on the door, Olivia quickly pulled her shirt over her head before instructing for them to enter. It was Bobby who poked his head in, his eyes soft. “We’re leaving in five minutes,” he informed the woman. She nodded and turned back to get her shoes. “Are you okay?” she heard him ask as he entered the room, slightly shutting the door behind him. It wasn’t until then when Olivia realized there were tears running down her cheeks. Quickly she wiped them away with her sleeve, answering in the form of a nod.

“Yeah, I’m just missing Ma, ya know?” She didn’t look at him; but still Bobby knew too well when she was lying. A part of him wanted to argue, force the real reason behind the tears out of her but it was Thanksgiving, and they were all mourning the loss of their only mother figure; Bobby left it alone.

“We all do,” he replied softly, doing his hardest to provide some kind of comfort. Nodding again, Olivia grabbed her sneakers and laced them on. “I’ll be downstairs.” Bobby closed the door behind him, leaving Olivia alone with her thoughts. After she had let out a long sigh, she pulled her coat over her shoulders before heading down. As she entered the living room, Sofi and Angel were having a quick bicker of what seemed to be her pissed about him leaving her in the house alone. Shaking her head toward the couple, Olivia fell in line with Jackie and waited while Bobby rolled his eyes and walked out the door – Jerry following. After five more minutes of Sofi bantering, it was Angel’s turn to roll his eyes, only shifting Sofi’s annoyance level to heighten, causing her to leave.

Finally walking out of the house, Olivia noticed Bobby and Jerry waiting in the car, having a casual conversation. The woman didn’t bother trying to listen in once she was inside the vehicle, instead her mind drifted off to do what she always did whenever an overwhelming sensation of emotions washed over her heart like a tidal wave; she worked to compartmentalized. Like a mansion for a mind, Olivia mentally worked to move the emotions into separate rooms, looking the door behind her so she didn’t have to deal with the heartache - not yet, anyway. There was one emotion Olivia had trouble pushing; why was Bobby so concerned once he saw her tear stained face? With their history, it wasn’t uncommon for them to still harbor feelings for the other; she would be lying if she had said she didn’t love him. And while, for many, it was hard to read Bobby Mercer, Olivia knew every facial muscle twitch, each arch of his brow and barely recognizable microexpression.

“We’re here.” She was thankful for Bobby’s voice pulling her out of her mansion, her eyes focusing on the ice skating rink. The rink alone brought back many memories of the boys playing from the early morning to the wee hours of the night. It was Bobby’s therapy - the only true form of aggression he could get out without being hauled away in cuffs adding on to the countless of other charges on his rap sheet. The game didn’t just help Bobby stay out of juvie, but it also helped the brothers be brothers.

“You’re playing right?” Jackie asked, following closely behind Olivia as they exited the car. While the woman wanted to at least stay in the vicinity to watch her brothers kickass in the rink, she did have a few errands to take care of while out.

“Not this time Jackie, I’ve got some business to take care of.” The look on his face gave away his disappointment but before he could argue, Olivia sulked off the opposite direction, hands tucked deeply into her pockets. For a moment Olivia looked back to see if the brothers were watching her; they weren’t, giving her the comfort of knowing they respected her privacy. But despite their turned gazes, Olivia changed directions to ensure they wouldn’t be able to find her or follow her if they had tried.

Pulling her phone from her pocket, the woman dialed the all too familiar number of the Detroit Police Station, getting transferred directly to Greene’s extension. The conversation was short; telling him to meet her at the front of the Police Station - she would be there in a few short minutes on foot. Without offering a proper ‘goodbye’, Olivia hung up the phone and continued her short walk quietly, her gaze scanning those around her and her surroundings. Years away from her home city but Olivia could still walk the streets with her eyes closed and end up at her destination.

Reaching the police station, Olivia spotted Greene waiting for her by the stairs. With a smile, the detective engulfed Olivia in a tight hug, lightly rubbing her back.

“How you doing, girl?” he asked, pulling away.

“Ask me again when I get back to New York,” Olivia grunted with a slight shrug.

“You said you wanted to speak with me?” Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she knew he was talking out of his ass. Olivia started walking, hands buried deep within her pockets as the Detroit winter winds began picking up. “What’s going on, baby girl?” Greene asked, following closely behind her.

“How much do you know about me?” she inquired, turning to face him. Olivia could easily tell by his expression how shocked he was by her blatant question; an expression he quickly tried to cover up. “And why are you checking up on me?” 

Finally he held his hands up in defeat with a small chuckle. “Calm down girl, you’d think a detective wouldn’t have anything to hide.” This time Olivia rolled her eyes, folding her arms across her chest as she stopped her movements. “Look, after Bobby got arrested for a D.U.I. here in Detroit, I wanted to find out why you weren’t keeping tabs on him anymore; that’s when I found out you were part of the N.Y.P.D.”

“So you decided to keep checking on me?”

“After my boss told me the woman I had looked into from New York had been stabbed two months after; I called in a favor to keep me informed. I stopped checking in after hearing about your transfer to Special Victims. I promise.” Scanning his face, Olivia let out a sigh. Without another work she continued her walk, knowing full well he was avoiding answering her first question. “Does Bobby know?” His question answered hers.

“No,” she responded without hesitation.

“I’m pretty sure he’d want to know.” Greene was right, this Olivia knew; Bobby had the right to know what had happened to her just months after he had left. But Olivia was stubborn; plus, she knew nothing she would say would make things better, especially not with the way the two left things. “Look, whatever happened between the two of you, that’s your business, but I know if something like that happened to my wife, I’d want to know about it.”

"I know if something like that ever happened to your wife, you'd hunt down that motherfucker down." 

Giving her a nod, Greene stopped walking, holding onto Olivia’s arm so she’d join him. "Did they ever catch him?" 

Olivia could tell he was hesitant in asking as it was a touchy subject. “No,” she answered finally. “They searched for about two months but they couldn’t find him. It didn’t help that I didn’t get a good look at him either since it was dark.” 

“I’m so sorry, Liv.” While his voice sounded sincere, Olivia was unsure if Greene really had meant his words. Shrugging it off, the woman looked away.

“It happened three years ago. I’m okay now.” But who was she trying to fool? Three years ago one of the most traumatic experiences of her life happened but it felt as if she could still feel the blade enter her abdomen. Nightmares of that night still haunted her to the point where she was too afraid to sleep. No matter how many counselors she saw, no matter how many different sleep medications she took, the event continued to live with her. And with her mind buzzing wildly, Greene could see her eyes glazing over while she traveled deep into her mental. Seeing this as an invitation, the man once again stopped the woman with a hand on her forearm, wrapping his arms around her. 

“If you need anything while you’re here, you know you can call me.” The hug took her by surprise, but Olivia welcomed it by resting her head on his shoulder.

“Thanks Greene.” Pulling away from the hug, she placed her hands, once again, in her pockets to protect them from the piercing winds. “I gotta get back; the boys are playing Turkey Cup and I gotta make sure no one is playing dirty.” Greene laughed as he nodded in understanding. Saying their goodbyes, Olivia walked back to the ice rink, spotting Bobby yelling at his brothers. She couldn’t help but let out a small laugh as she approached, watching as Jackie yelled back. 

Bobby skated toward the puck and smacked it into the net, throwing his hands in the air. "Game point baby!" The men from the other team threw their sticks down in defeat, and skated out as they each mumbled their curses toward the Mercer family. Bobby and his brothers celebrated their win by high-fiving and congratulating each other. Putting on a smile, Olivia approached the boys.

"Good job guys," she congratulated, patting Jack on the back. The boys talked for a little more before Jerry reminded the others they all had a meeting with Evelyn's lawyer despite it being a holiday. As they made their way off the rink, the boys getting there faster with their skates on, they all packed into Bobby's car and headed to the lawyer's office building.

* * *

"Gentlemen and Ms. Friedman, I am truly sorry about your mother," the lawyer started as the five Mercer children all sat around the large table. "Although I only met Evelyn the one time...she made quite the impression." Olivia looked out the large floor to ceiling window, not bothering to listen to his bullshit; she heard it every day at the station. "I know it's difficult to deal with mundane financial matters while your heart still grieves for a loved one…" 

The lawyer was cut off as Jackie interrupted.

"How much do we get?" Both Bobby and Olivia smacked the youngest Mercer brother upside the head while Jerry and Angel both scolded him for his question. The attorney excused himself before turning to grab a metal container from his office desk; a safety deposit box. Brows furrowed, Olivia wondered why Evelyn never mentioned the box to her; then again, no one really expects their days to be the last unless it was caused by medical reasons.

"This is the contents of your mother's safety deposit box. I'll leave you to look through it." Once again the lawyer excused himself from the room. Bobby was the first to make a move; opening the container to rifle through it. Grabbing a few papers, Bobby handed them to Jerry.

"Birth certificate.” Jerry was stunned. “The adoption paper,” he continued, his words mostly spoken aloud but not to anyone in particular. “Henry Ford Hospital … so I am from Detroit." It made Olivia smile when she saw how excited Jerry was to finally know a little piece about himself.

"Lansing, Michigan.” Next it was Jackie who was giving his papers. However, unlike Jerry, Jackie wasn’t as excited to see the information on the government documents. 

"My mom was sixteen?" Jerry spoke with surprise.

Olivia moved her gaze to Bobby, who in turn looked disappointed along with Angel. The woman felt an ache in her heart for them; they had no recollection of their real families, nor had any information on who they were. And while she felt sorry for the boys, Olivia also detected a bit of anger; she would have happily traded families with them in a heartbeat.

"Mom went to Woodstock," Jackie announced, amused, as he pulled out a few tickets from the box.

"You didn't know Mom was a hippie?" Bobby asked, laughing. "Here we go." He had found the jackpot; the money Evelyn had left behind for her sons. Flipping through the bills, Bobby handed each a couple hundred, including Olivia however leaving Jack out.

"What about me?" he asked, his hand extended. Reaching for the pearl necklace Evelyn had specifically left for Olivia, Bobby dropped it into Jackie’s palm.

"That'll look good on you."

"You're fucking with me?" Jackie handed Olivia the necklace before looking back to Bobby.

"Quit crying," Bobby groaned, closing the container and taking it with as they left the office.

"Come on, I got something to show ya'll," Jerry announced, beckoning for the gang to follow him out. Holding onto Jack's arm, Olivia pulled him back from the brothers. He gave her a weird glance, almost pulling his arm from her grasp until he looked down to what she was offering; the money Bobby had given to her. 

"But..."

"You need it more than I do," Olivia whispered, stopping him from protesting. Putting a finger to her lips, she nodded toward the boys and beckoned for Jackie to follow. Deciding against fighting with her, the younger brother followed behind Olivia, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips at her kindness.

**Author's Note:**

> I appreciate you taking the time to read this! If you could be so kind to leave kudos and/or a comment. Also, please check out my tumblr blog (jewelswrites-ish) if you have one; I also have a blog specifically for this fic (oliviafriedman). Thanks again!


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